A total of 136 AEDS were located during the contest. The three week contest was designed to familiarize residents with the location of automatic external defibrillators (AED) throughout the County. AEDs are small portable devices utilized to shock a person’s heart when they are unconscious, having a heart attack. “AEDs are literally saving lives each and every day across the country and can be found in schools, office buildings, shopping malls, and airports.” said Chief Lockhart. The contest was held as the department prepares to launch the PulsePoint app for smartphones – an app designed to alert subscribers to a cardiac arrest within a quarter of a mile of the subscriber’s location, allowing them to respond and provide CPR or use an AED prior to the arrival of first responders. “This is a force multiplier for us in sudden cardiac arrest. Anyone trained to do CPR or using an AED can use the app and potentially save a life.” Lockhart stated.

While the department believes they have a large number of AEDs in its registry for the app, Lockhart said he believes there are still others out there that they don’t have. “The contest is over but the need is still there. Folks can use the PulsePoint AED app, available from their favorite app store, to take a picture or the AED and geo-locate it when they see one.” The PulsePoint app for Stafford County will launch in mid-May, almost three weeks ahead of schedule according to the Chief who said a full announcement will be made once testing is complete.

The PulsePoint Project is a collaborative effort of the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department, Gwyneth’s Gift, and Stafford Hospital Foundation. Prizes for the AED contest were generously supplied by the County’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association.

For more on Stafford County Fire and Rescue: www.staffordfirerescue.com